Eran Barzilay spearheads new Shavei Israel projects for Kaifeng Jews
Eran Barzilay (back row) with some of the Chinese community in Kaifeng
Two years ago, following the devastating fire that ravished Israel’s Carmel mountain range, the Jewish community in Kaifeng, China, decided it wanted to donate money to help rebuild the Yemin Orde Youth Village, which was at the epicenter of the fire. Eran Barzilay, a young Israeli, had been living in Kaifeng at the time studying Chinese at the local Henan University. On the community’s behalf, he approached Shavei Israel to see if the organization could facilitate the transfer of funds.
That meeting launched an on-going cooperation between Barzliay, Shavei and the Kaifeng community which today includes a number of significant projects: a regular newsletter about Jewish topics entirely in Chinese; a scholarship for Jews who speak some Chinese to maintain contact with the community in Kaifeng; and soon, the launch of a platform for live, interactive, virtual courses over the Internet on Judaism in Chinese.
Jews have lived in Kaifeng, once one of the capitals of Imperial China, for over a thousand years, arriving originally as merchants from Persia or Iraq plying their trade along the fabled Silk Route. We have more about the community and its history here on our website.
Barzilay was an East Asian studies major in 2010 when he first headed to China. When he heard about the Kaifeng community, he was immediately attracted. “I wanted a place where I’d have an opportunity to go to synagogue and celebrate Shabbat with other Jews, while I was studying,” he says.
During his year in China, Barzliay became close with the community. When he subsequently came home to Israel, he wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Shavei Israel’s Rabbi Hanoch Avitzedek immediately recognized Barzilay’s potential. At the request of Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund, who places great importance on assisting the Kaifeng Jews, the two began brainstorming on ways to enhance the community’s connection to Judaism.
A key tool has been the newsletter, which comes out twice a month and has published nearly 40 issues so far. The newsletter, which includes articles on Jewish law, the Parsha (weekly Torah portion), and holidays (the next issue turns the spotlight on the upcoming holiday of Purim), is a collaborative effort, with some articles written by community members in Kaifeng and some by Barzilay here in Israel. “The idea is to be a connection, a bridge between the Jews in Kaifeng and those who are now living in Israel.”
Barzilay is referring to the seven Kaifeng men who have been studying Judaism and Hebrew in Israel for the past two and a half years with Shavei Israel’s help. Barzilay has been assisting Shavei here too. For example, he will be accompanying six of the seven when they immerse in the mikveh (ritual bath) later this week, the final step towards completing their formal return to Judaism and becoming officially recognized Israeli citizens. (The seventh, Hoshea Tony Liang, did so two weeks ago.)
Barzilay will then be the point person for navigating the Israeli government bureaucracy for the seven, setting them up with a long-term Hebrew ulpan (including housing) and helping them get settled as they begin their new lives in the Jewish state.
Shavei Israel’s scholarship project for the Kaifeng community has been an equally important part of Barzilay responsibilities and it has kept him quite busy looking for someone to fill the shoes of the first recipient, Shulamit Gershovich, who we’ve written about before. “It’s not so easy finding someone who either knows or is studying Chinese and who has the knowledge in Jewish subjects to teach the community,” Barzilay explains.
Gershovich ended her term in Kaifeng last summer, so in the meantime, Barzilay returned to celebrate the High Holy Days last year with the community. He was delighted to be back, particularly for the holiday of Sukkot, which comes at an auspicious point of the year in China, Barzilay explains.
On the very same day of the lunar calendar (Sukkot always begins with the full moon) falls the Chinese “Mid-Autumn Festival,” a national holiday when the many Chinese young people who travel to distant cities for work or school return home to be with their families. This makes it much easier for the Kaifeng Jews to come together without having to take an extra day off of work. About 60 Kaifeng Jews sat together under the sukka that Barzilay helped the community build (on the roof of one of the local Jewish school).
Barzilay relates that he was able to bring the “4 Species” for Sukkot to Kaifeng for the holiday “And it’s not so easy to get into China with a lulav!” he jokes, recalling certain suspicious customs officials. Other guests under the sukka included Shoshana Rebecca Li from Kaifeng who made aliyah from Kaifeng in 2006 and married Ami Emmanuel, also a new immigrant, albeit from the United States. The two were visiting Shoshana’s family for the holidays, allowing the entire community to coo over their baby boy, named Tekoa.
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by eating round moon cakes, in honor of its full moon start. Jews traditionally eat round challot at this time of year – coincidental?
While Barzilay’s work for Shavei Israel with the Kaifeng Jews is only part time, for him it’s much more that an occupation. “I believe that G-d guides everything,” he says. “I went to China and got to know this community and then I came back and got to know Shavei. I will keep on doing this no matter where I work in the future. This is a job for my soul.”
Eran shared some pictures from his trip to Kaifeng last fall here.